Barbed wire



Jan. 19, 1943. H. A. ABBOTT 2,308,905

BARBED WIRE Filed Dec. 20, 1939 Patented Jan. 19, 1943 BARBED WIREHarold Athelstane Abbott, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia ApplicationDecember 20, 1939, Serial No. 310,257 In Australia February 13, 1939 4Claims.

This invention has reference to a method of and means for manufacturingbarbed wire and the like and has been devised to provide a methodcomparatively cheap to carry out and is particularly applicable formanufacturing a high tensile, single strand barbed wire.

Hitherto attempts to make a single strand barbed wire using high tensilematerial have failed owing to the hardness and brittleness of the wire.Electrical welding of the barbs to the wire has been tried and this hasnot been successful owing to the high carbon content of the wire, forwhen welding takes place the heat applied to the wire destroys itscharacteristics causing the wire to become very brittle which wire willsnap when a slight bending strain is placed thereon.

It was realised that if a single strand high tensile wire could beutilized as a main wire and have barbs securely locked thereon in spacedrelationship a great advantage could be obtained as a much cheaper andstronger barbed wire could be produced, for example, from one cwt. of 12gauge high tensile wire a length of approximately 1,500 yards could beproduced, the breaking strain of said wire being 1,250 lbs, whereas fromone cwt. of gauge soft wire (normally employed), a length ofapproximately 854 yards only could be produced, the breaking strain ofthe lat er wire being 1,008 lbs.

The main oject of the present invention therefore is to provide a methodof and means for manufacturing a single strand barbed wire using a hightensile main wire and barbs made from either high tensile or soft wire.

With the above object in view the present invention consists inconstructing a single strand barbed wire from a high tensile wirewithout the application of heat, the barbs being wound around and lockedto the main wire in such a manner as to prevent their rotational orlongitudinal movement on said main wire.

The invention is characterized by the employment of a single strand hightensile wire having spaced kinks or spaced sets of adjacently opposedkinks formed therein, the said kinks being adapted to receive and retainin determined and intimately locked position respective barbs of hightensile or soft wire, the said barbs being wound preferably in oppositedirections around the single strand wire to obtain a uniformly barbedwire, the complete operation being carried out without the applicationof any heat to the main wire or barbs, means being provided for formingthe kinks in the main wire and means for attaching the barbs inposition.

An important feature embodied in my invention is the employment ofspecially formed kinks in the main wire for receiving respective barbswhich, by their action of being wound around the main wire, locks saidbarbs in determined position.

Another important feature embodied in my invention is the manner in andmeans by which the kinks are formed in the high tensile main wire so asnot to destroy its properties and characteristics, and thereby reducethe breaking strain of the said wire.

A further important feature embodied in the invention is the utilisationof a single strand high tensile wire having sets of barbs dispersed andlocked in spaced relationship thereon, means being provided for carryingout the complete operation.

The machine for attaching the barbs to the main wire may be carried outaccording to known engineering practice and therefore no particularmachine is herein described or illustrated. However, the manner in whichthe kinks are formed in the main wire is important since the operationmust be carried out without damage to the properties or characteristicsof the main high tensile wire and. one form of carrying out theoperation is described and diagrammatically illustrated.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood referencewill now be made to the accompanying drawing which illustrates theformation of the kinks in the main wire and the steps in the cycle ofattaching the barbs to said wire and in which drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of portion of the main strand showing adjacentand opposed kinks formed therein.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of portion of the main strand with the barbs inthe first operative position.

Fig. 3 is an underside plan of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of portion of the main strand showing the barbsbent from their position as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of Fig. i.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of portion of the main strand showing a furtherstep of bending the barbs from their position shown in Fig. 5.

' Fig. '7 is an elevation of portion of the main strand showing thebarbs twisted and locked into the final position.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of a pair of coacting rollers for formingthe kinks in the main strand.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of the forming rollers in operativeposition after forming adjacently opposed kinks in the main strand.

Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation on line I-I0 of Fig. 9 and illustratinga plurality of main strands passing between the co-acting rollers.

Fig. 11 is an elevation of a modified construction of the main strandillustrating the employment of a single kink for locking the barbs inposition.

According to one form of carrying the invention into practical effectthe barbed wire consists in a single strand high tensile wire I2 havingsets of adjacently opposed kinks l3 and I4 formed in spaced relationshiptherein by any suitable means such as co-acting rollers I5, the saidkinks being preferably of a substantially semi-circular formation andadapted to receive and maintain in determined and locked positionrespective barbs I6 and ll, of high tensile or soft wire.

The barbs I6 and I! are wound preferably in opposite directions aroundthe single strand wire I2 to thereby lock the said barbs I5 and I1 andobtain a uniformly barbed wire having a desired number of barbsprotruding in pro-determined directions, the complete operation ofworking the wire I2 and mounting the barbs being carried out without theapplication of heat, which would destroy the characteristics of the hightensile wire.

In operation a single strand or a plurality of single strands of hightensile wire I2 is or are fed through suitable rollers I5 in order thatsets of adjacent and opposed kinks I3 and I4 are formed in said wire I2the said sets of kinks I3 and I4 being spaced along the wire I2 according to the distance required between the sets of barbs I6 and IT.

The kinks I3 and I4 are of a semi-circular construction, having adesired radius and off-set sufiiciently to receive and have lockedtherein respective short lengths of wire which form the barbs I6 and I1.

The formation of the kinks I3 and I4, and the manner in which suchformation is carried out, is important as the properties andcharacteristics of the wire I2 must not be damaged or afiected. Forexample, I have found that by forming the kinks I3 and I4 with dies inconjunction with a press (not shown) the tensile strength of the wire I2was greatly reduced and thereby the value of utilizing a high tensilewire was more or less nullified.

Experiments proved that by employing coacting rollers I5 provided withmeans hereinafter described for correctly forming the kinks i3 and I4 bya rolling operation and using lubrication on the wire I 2, the tensilestrength of the said wire I2 was not substantially reduced, the slightreduction being overcome by employing a larger radius at the points I8,namely where the respective ends of the kinks I3 and I4 join thestraight portion of the strand I2.

While the preferred form of forming the kinks I3 and I4 is by means ofco-acting rollers, any suitable means according to known engineeringpractice may be employed for the purpose providing the tensile strengthof the wire is not substantially reduced.

The co-acting rollers I5 are each identical in formation and eachcomprises a cam-like member most of the periphery of which forms thecircumference of a circle, the remaining portion of the periphery beingirregular and comprising curved projections I8 and 20 and identations 2|and 22 (see Figures 8 and 9) in order to form adjacently opposed sets ofkinks I3 and I4 at spaced relationship along the wire or wires I2 whensame is or are passed between the said coacting rollers I5 which rollersI5 are rotating during the operation, so that the respective projectionsI9 of each roller I5 co-act with the respective indentations 2I of thesaid rollers I5 and the projections 20 with the indentations 22.

The co-acting rollers are suitably spaced apart according to the gaugeof the wire I2 being employed and any well known means is provided forlubricating the wire I 2 before, and if desired, while passing betweenthe kink forming rollers I5, such lubrication assisting in preventingany reduction in the tensile strength of the wire I2 due to the kinkforming operation.

In operation, the projections I3 and identations 2| form the adjacentlyopposed kinks I3 and I4 while the projections 20 and indentations 22impart the correct curve at the respective points I8, namely where theend of each kink I3 and I4 joins the straight portion of the wire I2.Besides forming the correct curve the projections 20 and indentations 22maintain the wire I 3 in continued alignment although suitable guides(not shown) may be employed for the purpose.

After the operation of forming the kinks I3 and I4 in the main strand I2the said strand moves forward to permit two lengths of barb formingwires I6 and IT to be fed through the respective kinks l3 and I4 and cutto a required length by suitable means on the feeding machine whichcutting operation points the barbs, such operation as shown in Figures 2and 3 being the first in the cycle of operation for mounting the barbsI6 and II to the main strand I 2.

In the next or second operation, the cut pieces of barb forming wires I6and I! are bent over one another by suitable means to a U or hairpinshape (see Figures 4 and 5), the legs of each U-shaped wire I6 and I1being parallel to the main strand I2, the looped end of each wire I6 andI I being disposed within their respective kinks I3 and I4.

The third operation consists in bending portion of the respective legsof each barb-forming wire I6 and II to a, vertical position only one upand one down as shown in Fig. 6 so as an H-like construction is formedby the two barb pieces I6 7 and II, the respective up-turned anddownturned portion of each barb piece I 6 and I1 being on opposite sidesof the main strand I2.

The next and final operation consists in twisting the vertical portionsof each barb piece I6 and I! in opposite directions around thelongitudinal main wire I2 as illustrated in Figure '7 to thereby lockthe barbs I6 and I! in position and so obtain in this instance a fourpointed barbed wire having a barb projecting at each degrees around thewire I2.

To obtain such disposition of the barbs I6 and I! it is necessary thatone barb piece I! must be given a half turn more than the other barbpiece It.

While it is preferable to employ adjacently O posed kinks I3 and I4 inthe main strand I2, the invention is not limited to such formation andin a modification as illustrated in Figure 11, I provide a main strand23 having a single kink 24 within which is disposed the looped end ofone of the barbs 25, the looped end of the other barb 26 being disposedover the kink 24 and under the barb 25, the operation of bending andtwisting the barbs 25 and 26 into position being similar to thatpreviously described.

Although the invention has been described with reference to themanufacture of barbed wire from high tensile wire, I would have itunderstood that barbed wire made from soft wire may be similarlyconstructed, as barbed wire constructed in the manner herein describedpossesses many advantages over existing barbed wires. For example. thebarbs under the present invention are effectively locked and set indetermined position during manufacture and more so when a tension isplaced on the main single strand l2.

It will also be understood that the method of mounting the barbs is notlimited to barbed wire and may be employed in the construction of wiremesh fencing, and I do not wish to be arbitrarily confined to thehereinbefore mentioned details since I may if necessary depart therefromand while I have described the essential characteristics of my inventionI desire it to be understood that various improvements and modificationsmay be embodied therein without departing from its spirit and scope.

I claim:

1. A barbed wire construction comprising, a single strand main wire,spaced pairs of oppositely disposed kinks in said main wire, a pair ofbarb forming wires associated with each pair of kinks, a U-shapedsection in each said barb forming wire arranged with the bend thereof inone of said kinks, the limbs of the U-shaped section of each pair ofbarb forming wires overlapping and extending in opposite directions inparallel alignment with said main wire, and parts of each barb formingwire contiguous to the limbs of the U-shaped section thereof beingtwisted in the same direction around said main wire and projectingtherefrom to constitute two barbs, and the respective wires of each pairof barb forming wires being oppositely twisted around the main wire.

2. A barbed wire construction comprising, a single strand main wire,spaced pairs of kinks in said main wire, each said pair of kinkscomprising two oppositely disposed contiguous bends, a pair of barbforming wires associated with each pair of kinks, a U-shaped section ineach said barb forming wire arranged with the bend thereof in one ofsaid kinks, the limbs of the two U-shaped sections of each pair of barbforming Wires overlapping and extending in opposite directions incontact with each other and in parallel alignment with said main wire,parts of each barb forming wire contiguous to the limbs of the U-shapedsection thereof being twisted in the same direction around said mainwire, the respective wires of each pair of barb forming wires beingtwisted in the opposite direction around the said main wire, and theends of each said pair of wires forming four barbs disposed at an angleof relatively to each other.

3. A barbed wire construction comprising a single strand main wirehaving a kinked part, a pair of barb forming wires, each having aU-shaped bend therein, the bends in the respective barb forming wiresoverlapping one another and being oppositely disposed, each said bendstraddling the kinked part of said main wire, the parts of each saidbarb forming wire contiguous to the bend therein being coiled around anunkinked part of said main wire adjacent to the kinked part thereof, andthe ends of each barb forming wire projecting from the main wirr3 toconstitute two barbs.

4. A barbed wire construction as claimed in claim 3, wherein the twoparts of one barb forming wire contiguous to the bend therein are coiledaround the main wire in one direction, and the corresponding parts ofthe other barb forming wire are coiled around the main wire in theopposite direction.

HAROLD ATHELSTANE ABBOTT.

